MAGARAO, Camarines Sur — Rice farmer Genaro A. Tamon made waves in the social media recently when he harvested 263 cavans or sacks of hybrid rice (60 kilos per cavan) from his one hectare irrigated farm in Barangay Sta. Lucia here.
His bountiful harvest last April 22, 2024 was equivalent to 15.78 metric tons and was the highest in the Bicol Region as it was three times more than the 4.41 MT/ha. average yield in irrigated rice areas in Bicol based on the 2023 data of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). He sold the fresh palay at a local comprada at P21.50 per kg giving him a gross income of P339,270. His expenses from land preparation to harvesting amounted to approximately P130,000, thus, he obtained a net income of P209,270.00 in just one hectare of rice.
He attributed his very high production to the combination of organic fertilizer (chicken dung) and inorganic fertilizer and the use of high yielding hybrid rice variety. Genaro used 15 kilos of US 88 Hybrid Rice variety from SeedWorks Philippines, Inc., a private seed company.
He said he first prepared a 300 square meter seedbed, which he conditioned with 10 bags of rice hull. After 10 days, he applied 10 kilos complete fertilizer (14-14-14) to the growing rice seedlings. Meanwhile, he also prepared the one hectare farm to be planted with hybrid rice by applying 100 bags chicken dung which he bought at P100/bag. Ten (10) liters soil conditioner was applied after harrowing.
He transplanted the 20-day old palay seedlings at a distance of 15 cm by 20 cm to permit root and canopy growth and to keep all leaves active in photosynthesis. “One square meter area should have 30 single rice seedlings,” Genaro said.
He applied fertilizer in granular and foliar forms every 15 days. He performed the first application of fertilizer on the fifth day after transplanting, using 3 bags of complete fertilizer (14-14-14) and 2 bags urea. The second application of fertilizer was done after 15 days using 3 bags urea and 2 bags 16-20-0. Another application was done 15 days after using 3 bags of 17-0-17. The fourth application was after another 15 days using 2 bags 0-0-60 (potassium) and another 2 bags after 15 more days.
He also sprayed foliar fertilizer three times during the tillering, booting and flowering stages of the plant.
Genaro advised that application of sufficient fertilizer is the key to good yields in hybrid rice. “Sunod sa layaw ang palay ko kaya binigyan din ako ng magandang ani. Kung magtatanim ka, dapat may target ka din na harvest,” he added.
“Compared to inbred rice, sa hybrid talagang napakataas ng ani kung susundin mo ang tamang farm management na akma sa hybrid rice. Nakita ko na iba talaga ang grains at panicles ng hybrid na umaabot sa maximum of 500 grains per panicle, at average of 400 grains per panicle. Samantalang sa inbred ay maximum of 200 grains per panicle lang. Subalit ito ay mahirap ma achieve kung hindi ka maglalagay ng sapat na fertilizer,” He emphasized.
Genaro is a long-time local farmer technician of the Department of Agriculture Bicol and he was also the 2018 regional Gawad Saka outstanding rice farmer. The 61-year old Genaro Tamon is currently the president of the Sta. Lucia Farmers Association with over 92 rice farmer members tilling approximately 210 hectares of rice farms in Magarao, Camarines Sur. (Lovella P. Guarin – RAFIS 5 | Photo credit: Eduardo Collantes, Jr.)
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